Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 91285 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 456(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91285 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 456(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
I can barely breathe now, but for an entirely different reason.
I did tell him that late one night while we were curled up in bed. How I used to lie awake and stare out the windows, wishing for something bigger than the life everyone kept trying to push me into. Something that was mine alone.
I never thought he’d remember the exact words.
His hand slides to the side of my neck. “When you walk out there tonight, I want you wearing a reminder.”
“A reminder of what?”
“That no one and nothing owns you. Not your mother, the cameras, or even the past.” His thumb strokes my skin. “You go out there because this is what you chose. It’s the life you were brave enough to create for yourself, and I want you to fully embrace it.”
Another tear slips free, and I let out a watery laugh, pressing the heel of my hand against my cheek. “I think you’re trying to ruin my makeup right before I go on stage.”
His mouth twitches. “Totally worth it.”
I laugh again, handing him the necklace. “Would you mind putting it on for me, please?”
Tenderness flashes across his expression as he steps behind me. I lift my hair, and his fingers brush the nape of my neck as he fastens the clasp. His touch is careful, and the chain settles against my skin with a cool, delicate weight.
His palms slide lightly over my bare shoulders before he turns me to face him again. The star rests just above my heart.
Knox’s gaze drops to it before lifting to my face. “Perfect. Just like you, baby.”
I shake my head, smiling through the sting in my eyes. “You do realize I’m supposed to be focusing on my performance and not the fact that I’m hopelessly in love with you, right?”
He leans in until his forehead can rest against mine. “I guess it’s a good thing you can multitask.”
A shaky laugh escapes me as he angles his head. The kiss is gentle, exactly what I need to quiet my racing thoughts and remind me where my center is.
“I don’t know what I did to deserve you,” I whisper.
His gaze darkens. “We both know I’m the one who got lucky here.”
The stage manager appears at the corner and gestures. “Places.”
Nervousness flares within me again.
Knox leans in and kisses my forehead. “Go shine, baby.”
I smile up at him, because somehow that simple phrase feels more powerful than any pep talk ever could.
It’s only after he disappears that I move toward the curtain. My pulse thunders, but not with panic.
Well, not exactly. It’s a mixture of adrenaline and hope.
Carefully, I edge toward a gap in the curtain and peek out at the packed theater. There are rows of stylishly attired people filling the seats as the orchestra pit hums below, the musicians checking instruments one final time.
My heart stutters as I scan the crowd. Knox is in the front section with our family. Britt and Colby. Gray and Whitney. Some of the Railers are sprawled in their seats like they don’t entirely belong in a theater but showed up anyway because they love me, and Knox would have killed them if they didn’t.
Whitney catches my eye and gives me a knowing smile, the kind that says she knew exactly where this was headed long before either of us did. She was the one who said the best relationships start out by fake dating, and judging by the warmth in her expression, she’s feeling pretty vindicated right about now.
Britt leans into Colby, grinning, while Gray gives Knox a clap on the shoulder. There’s no hesitation or awkwardness there. No one looking at us like we moved too fast or made a mistake.
Unable to help myself, my attention resettles on Knox, the way it always does. He glances toward the curtain, as if he can feel the weight of my stare. Our gazes meet across the crowded theater, and for one suspended moment, everything else falls away.
It’s just him and that unwavering sense of rightness I always feel in his presence. After a moment, he gives me a slight nod. And, somehow, that tiny movement is enough to banish the nerves. My throat wells with emotion as I let the curtain fall back into place and close my eyes for one brief second.
When I open them again, I touch the star resting above my heart.
No more cages.
A smile curves my lips as I square my shoulders, lift my chin, and step into position.
Not as the girl hoping she belongs here, but as the woman who knows she earned her place.
Epilogue
Knox
Applause rings in my ears as I push through the backstage doors. People are everywhere and cast members are still in costume. The crew is moving props around as the babble of excited voices overlaps. There’s an explosion of flowers and laughter. The energy that fills the space is the kind that comes after something big lands exactly the way it was meant to.